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Baker Farm Erosion Control and Habitat Improvement Project
Region: Northern
ID: 5691
Project Status: Cancelled
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Due to farming up to the edge of the drainage in the past, removing all stabilizing vegetation has caused the channel to erode, down cut, and narrow. Continued erosion has been causing sediment loading of an irrigation pond and into Cutler reservoir. Sedimentation of the irrigation pond has cost the landowner $5,000 previously to dredge and continued degradation and erosion of the stream banks is causing a loss of field. The land owner is conservation minded and desires to improve his land in a environmental sound way. He has switched farming practices to a conservation agriculture based system using such practices as no-till and cover crops to build up the soil and improve the infiltration and reduce erosion from the field. This project will address the land owner's desire to restore the drainage and stop further erosion of the land and improve habitat along the drainage for vegetation and wildlife along with providing technical assistance and expertise management of the project.
Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.
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Objectives
* Hiring of an expert firm to design and implement the project. * Installation of BDA structures along the drainage in optimum locations. * Reduction of water velocity during seasonal flow to minimize erosion. * Increase water table to improve suitability for diverse wildlife friendly species. * Establishment as a demonstration and education site for promotion of conservation practices in cropland.
Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
The drainage is experiencing an increased rate of erosion as it becomes more channelized, concentrating the flow energy and increasing its velocity. With extreme weather events causing larger seasonal flows further down cutting and channelizing will occur, increasing the difficulty of being able to use BDA type structures to restore the drainage. It is possible with a decade this channel could be so incised that such a project would become impossible and would require heavy equipment and significant funding to address the issue. Additionally the homestead's only source of domestic water is a spring located at the bottom of the drainage. The spring and its structures are at risk of extensive damage from seasonal high flows threatening the drinking water for the homestead.
LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.
TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.
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Relation to Management Plans
The Baker family has been working with the NRCS and Blacksmith Fork Conservation District to address resource concerns of the farms productivity due to decline crop plant vigor and sustainability of the land due to soil degradation and erosion. Plans have been implemented to meet the following objectives * Reduction of soil erosion through eliminating tillage and soil disturbance through no-till planting and planting of cover crops in the fallow period. BDAs will serve as the tool to address the soil erosion issues along the drainage system. * Increasing productivity and crop vigor through building up of soil organic matter and increasing soil infiltration and water holding capacity through use of cover crops and no-till practices. * Increasing cycling of nutrients through cover crops and integration of livestock grazing of cover crops. A permanent electric fence, livestock water pipeline and temporary electric division fences have been installed to facilitate proper grazing management and utilization of the cover crops. * Demonstration site for soil health practices and conservation efforts. The Baker Family is willing and has allowed the site to serve as demonstration and testing site and desires to continue to allow the farm to serve this purpose. Utilizing BDAs to address seasonal flow erosion on farm is nonexistent in the area and to be able to install such a project will not only address the resource issue but will provide a demonstration site to promote further adoption in the area where similar erosion issues are prevalent. The Middle Bear TMDL has identified agriculture as a contributing source of sediment and nutrient loading into Cutler Reservoir. Under Nonpoint Source 4.1.2, agriculture is listed as one of the major sources for the loading of sediment and nutrients due to such things as erosion from cultivated land and disturbed soils. These contributions have led to low dissolved oxygen and high levels of phosphorus. Under section 7.6, "Reasonable Assurances", the plan calls to rely on the use of Best Management Practices to attain reductions for agriculture and other land uses. The plan identifies the use of BMP's such as filter strips and combines with already implemented practices of no-till and perennial grasses on the cropland. Additionally, the beaver dam analog's serve as a BMP for the improvement of the drainage to support better stabilization of the streambank.
List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.
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Fire/Fuels
Once the BDA structures are installed, water will be slowed down and the water table will be raised which will create a beneficial riparian area with desirable plants and the drainage will hold more water. This riparian area will provide an excellent fire break and prevent possible fires from destroying habitat and cropland around the drainage.
If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.
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Water Quality/Quantity
The reduction of sediment loading due to decreasing the severity of stream bank erosion will directly impact the quality of water in the watershed. Slowing of the water will also allow for greater infiltration into the water table and increase groundwater recharge in the area over the long term increasing the quantity of water in the aquifer.
Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.
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Compliance
The Project site has been previously inventoried for cultural resources during previous NRCS EQIP projects. No cultural resources have been identified that would be at risk. Additionally the projects proposed treatment requires minimal disturbance and has a small foot print posing minimal risk. NRCS will be involved in the current project and the practices identified show a net positive or no impact on all Resource identified in previous CPA-52.
Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.
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Methods
The project calls for the installation of about 50 beaver dam analog structures constructed from materials sources onsite or locally, consisting of wood, sticks, and soil along with wood poles. The structures will be installed by a knowledgeable contractor that has expertise in such practices. The structures will be built using NRCS approved practice standards. The BDAs will be installed by hand using shovels and hand held post pounders. Wood materials will be sourced on and off site requiring the use of chainsaws to cut wood into desired lengths. Offsite materials will be hauled in using pickup truck and trailer.
Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.
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Monitoring
Monitoring plan will use remote monitoring tools, including field cameras at key installation sites along the drainage to monitor seasonal flow timing as performance of structures over time. At minimum, annual drone mapping of the drainage will be conducted to monitor erosion rates and changes to the drainage vegetation composition. Conservation district will report annually on the progress of the project in their newsletter and social media outlets. Field tours organized by the district will be used to promote the practice among landowners and other conservation districts and agencies.
Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.
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Partners
Partners include Blacksmith Fork Conservation District and UDAF has been providing technical assistance. The district will serve as lead for the project as well as facilitator for the demonstration aspect of the project. UDAF and the District has been working with the Baker Family since the initial NRCS application in 2016. NRCS has provided technical and financial assistance in implementing the soil health practices and grazing improvements. Additionally an application for EQIP assistance has been submitted to help with the cost of the BDA structures. Scott Shahverdian, with Anabranch Solutions, has been involved with the project since his conception in the winter of 2018. He contacted the UDAF Watershed Coordinator for the Bear River to discuss the landowner's potential solutions to the erosion issue. Scott is also serving as link to Utah State University and building the potential of using the site to educate students at USU interested in conservation. Division of Water Quality Nonpoint Source program has committed $5,500 to this project.
List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.
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Future Management
Continued involvement of Blacksmith Conservation District working with the Baker family will help to provide for longevity of the projects demonstration capability. Scott Shahverdian will continue with helping to monitor the structures effect and recommend improvements to continue restoration of drainage over time such as recommendations if BDAs need to be increased in height or additional structures are needed. The landowner is interested in also planting vegetation along the drainage as the habitat for perennial plant growth and building better habitat for wildlife.
Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
As the stream bank stabilizes and vegetation increases, this will provide more wildlife habitat and can serve as a wildlife corridor to the bordering forest land on the west side of the property as well as provide recreations for the landowner's family. The site can be a long term demonstration site that will provide a site that can be utilized to monitor and measure long-term effects of such practices for researchers.
Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.
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